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Sapiom Raises $15 Million to Build Payment Layer for AI Agents and Vibe-Coded Apps

Prime Highlights:

  • Sapiom raised $15 million in seed funding to build a platform that lets AI agents securely buy and use software tools, APIs, and computing services without human intervention.
  • The startup aims to streamline “vibe coding” by removing payment, authentication, and service-access hurdles for AI-powered applications.

Key Facts:

  • The funding round was led by Accel, with participation from Okta Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Anthropic, and Coinbase Ventures.
  • Sapiom automates small payments each time an AI agent connects to external services, handling security, billing, and access in the background.

Background:

Sapiom has raised $15 million in seed funding to build a financial layer that allows artificial intelligence agents to securely buy and use software tools, APIs, and computing services without human help. The round was led by Accel, with support from Okta Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Anthropic, Coinbase Ventures, and others.

The startup aims to solve a growing problem in the rise of “vibe coding,” where people without technical skills use plain language to create apps. While these tools help users build quick prototypes, moving them into real-world use often becomes difficult due to payment systems, authentication, and external service connections.

Founded last summer by Ilan Zerbib, a former director of engineering for payments at Shopify, Sapiom focuses on removing these backend hurdles. Its platform allows AI agents to automatically pay for and access services such as SMS, email, cloud servers, and payment processing tools.

Each time an AI agent connects to an external service, it triggers a small payment. Sapiom automates this process, letting the agent decide what tools to use and when, while handling security and billing in the background.

Accel partner Amit Kumar said the company’s focus on enterprise payments sets it apart in a crowded AI space. He noted that every API call, message sent, or server created already represents a payment, but AI agents lack a smooth way to manage this today.

Sapiom expects its system to be used by vibe-coding platforms and businesses building autonomous AI agents. Instead of signing up for services like Twilio or adding credit cards manually, creators can rely on Sapiom to manage access and costs.

For now, the company is focused on business users. Zerbib said consumer-facing AI payments may come later, but enterprise infrastructure is the priority today.